Prius plug-in drivers in Japan can earn real-world rewards for electric driving

Because saving money on gas just wasn't incentive enough.Buyers of new plug-in Prius models in Japan (known as the Prius Prime in the US) will have another incentive, besides using less gas, to drive in EV mode as much as possible. Toyota has formed...

Kinsa iPhone Thermometer: Your Plug-In Doctor Is Ready

I take my phone pretty much everywhere, but it’s true that there is a lot more that it could do, given the right add-ons. Check out the Kinsa accessory, which will not only take your temperature but may also be able to diagnose what’s wrong with you or your kids.

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Kinsa is a low-cost thermometer that attaches to your iPhone via the headphone jack. It’s able to record your temperature history, and you can also input your symptoms. The Kinsa app taps into a database to see what kinds of illnesses are going around your local area. If there is a cold outbreak, then it’s possible that other people are suffering from it to. This is by no means a certain diagnosis, and it doesn’t replace a doctor, but it’s an interesting idea. And of course, it only works if there are other users in the area using Kinsa.

Kinsa is not yet available for purchase, but it will be available soon. You can hit up the Kinsa website to be notified of its release.

[via Ubergizmo]

Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid plug-in model brings 416 guilt-free horsepower

Porsche updates Panamera line with plugin hybrid

Daily commute got you down? You'll soon be able to do it in a Porsche by the end of the year without burning a drop of gas, thanks to a new plug-in Panamera S E-Hybrid model. The powertrain, which we saw earlier on a concept car, combines a V6 bi-turbo gas engine with a 95 horsepower electric model for 416 total system horsepower. Like recent offerings from Ford and others, the 2014 model adds a much larger 9.4 kWh battery to last year's non-plug-in hybrid, letting you trundle on electrons alone at up to 80MPH for 20 miles or so with with nary a puff of CO2. All that eco-friendly driving will be undone when you decide to open 'er up in combined gas / electric mode, however, as the zippy four-door will hit 0-60MPH in about 5.5 seconds with a decidedly un-green top speed of 165MPH. Still, the company says overall fuel consumption's been reduced over the last model and you'll get other niceties like Porsche's Car Connect smartphone app to view and control different vehicle functions. While Prius drivers won't be able to look down their noses at the model anymore, government incentives will make a decidedly smaller dent in its estimated $99,000 price tag.

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Safari blocking outdated Flash plug-ins due to security holes

Safari blocking outdated Flash plugins due to security holes

Adobe recently issued a security update for Flash Player which patches an exploit that gave hackers the ability to take over a vulnerable system. Not leaving things to chance, Apple is now rolling out a hotfix for Safari that blocks outdated versions of the tainted web plug-in. If your system hasn't been patched yet, you may receive a notification when attempting to access Flash-based content. The prompt will then advise that a new software version is available. If you're running OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) or higher and Safari is your browser of choice, you may want to nab this update from Adobe. Otherwise the next time you go online, the internet might be a far cry from what you're used to seeing.

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Via: The Loop, MacRumors

Source: Apple